16 



the year 1840. From 1840 until about 1870 the growing and selling of cereal 



grains was the principal industry. Following 1870 an important change in 



Early Swedish Agriculture gradually took place. The long period of continuous 



Swtxhsh grain raising began to show its effects in decreased fertility of the soil and as a 



result the grain growers found that they must change their system and feed 



their produce at home in order to return to the land at least a portion of the 



fertility removed by the crops. 



Another important circumstance which contributed to the bringing about 

 of a change in method was the great decrease in grain prices, following the 

 extensive importations into Europe of American cereals. The Swedes found 

 that they could not produce grain as cheaply as could the growers of North 

 America, and despite the great difference in distance between the two con- 

 tinents, competition practically forced them to find some other means of dis- 

 posing of their products. 



During the period of large grain exportation, and even later, Dr. F. C. 

 Schiibeler (63; 64; 65, p. 145-9), Professor of Botany in Christiania Univer- 

 Experiences s ity, Norway, had been conducting very extensive investigations into the 

 of Schubeler. e ff ec ^ s o f a northern latitude and climate upon plant life. He showed that 

 such conditions conduced to produce seed of greater weight, better quality and 

 of earlier maturity due largely to the increased number of hours of sunlight 

 enjoyed by the plants in this northern country during the growing period. 

 He believed, moreover, that the qualities which were thus acquired were 

 hereditary and as a consequence when seeds grown in the north were sown in 

 southern countries that they would continue to produce plants bearing the 

 same rich, early developing, heavy seed indefinitely. Schiibeler's publica- 

 tions on this question created much interest among the people of Sweden 

 who imagined that nature had thus provided them with a new source of 

 wealth in making possible the establishing of a lucrative trade in grain for 

 seeding purposes with Germany, Belgium, and other countries not so favored. 

 Many trial samples of seed were sent into these countries for testing, but the 

 results were rather disappointing due largely, it is believed, to the fact that 

 the sorts sent were quite impure, and consequently produced a mixed and 

 unsatisfactory crop. As will be seen later ' earliness ' is not essentially the 

 product of a northern position, although such a position seems to have 

 decided influence on the weight and quality of seed. 



With a view to encouraging the cultivation of a better class of seed grain, 

 several local associations were organized in the early eighties and many con- 

 tinental sorts of wheat, oats and barley were imported into Sweden for trial. 

 It was hoped that better sorts than those then growing in the country would 

 be obtained and by careful growing under control and under the beneficial 

 climate of Sweden, for a few years it would be possible to offer the Southern 

 trade a quality of seed for which a handsome price would readily be paid. 

 These associations never had more than a local influence and, as a consequence, 

 the period of their activities was of short duration. 



During this time Birger Welinder, to whom reference has already been 

 made, had watched the progress of affairs and had studied the situation 

 closely. He believed that the impurity of Swedish sorts had been chiefly 



